antiimpotence drugs unmask brst cancer cells to immune system &allow recogntn/attack!

[Lani]

ABSTRACT: Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibition augments endogenous antitumor immunity by reducing myeloid-derived suppressor cell function [Journal of Experimental Medicine]
Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil) are agents currently in clinical use for nonmalignant conditions. We report the use of PDE5 inhibitors as modulators of the antitumor immune response. In several mouse tumor models, PDE5 inhibition reverses tumor-induced immunosuppressive mechanisms and enables a measurable antitumor immune response to be generated that substantially delays tumor progression. In particular, sildenafil, down-regulates arginase 1 and nitric oxide synthase-2 expression, thereby reducing the suppressive machinery of CD11b+/Gr-1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) recruited by growing tumors. By removing these tumor escape mechanisms, sildenafil enhances intratumoral T cell infiltration and activation, reduces tumor outgrowth, and improves the antitumor efficacy of adoptive T cell therapy. Sildenafil also restores in vitro T cell proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from multiple myeloma and head and neck cancer patients. In light of the recent data that enzymes mediating MDSC-dependent immunosuppression in mice are active also in humans, these findings demonstrate a potentially novel use of PDE5 inhibitors as adjuncts to tumor-specific immune therapy.

[chrisy]

Thanks for posting this - I'm always excited to see research aimed at enlisting our own immune systems to fight cancer, and unmasking those sneaky cancer cells is key.

But taking this to the extreme illogical chain of unintended consequences - if all this viagra succeeds in helping women fight cancer, then they may have more interest in activities of the intimate sort which would seem like a good thing unless their partner suffers from e.d. and coulcn't do anything about it because all the viagra was gone!

An interesting problem - chasing each other around the house fighting over the little blue pills! LOL

Thanks for posting this, Lani - seriously, this is interesting research!

[wiesia]

How much would we have to use to get any benefit ? Any idea ?



wiesia

[Lolly]

Don't know, but I'm willing to be a guinea pig... but really, interesting stuff.

<3 Lolly